Haha, lovely! Jag antar att det här beskriver min situation ganska bra.
”Personal (Private) Visa:
This type of visa is given to the foreiners who come to Russia for a personal visit (friends, relatives etc.) It can be valid for up to 3 months and is single entry only. This is the worst kind of visa you can apply for.
To obtain this visa, you need a personal invitation certificate (or visa entitlement certificate – ”izveshchenie”) from a person living in Russia. Sorry, but it will be a real pain in the ass for your friend to make this invitation certificate for you. This person should go to a local OVIR office (something like immigration officials), stand in a long queue, get an application form, fill it in, pay a processing fee (about $30 US – always changing), and wait for about 45 (!) days until the immigration officials will check him (the person who’s inviting you) and you. I don’t know what they check, but I guess they’re looking for some serious stuff like terrorism or spying — there’s no other reason for it to take 30 days. I even think they’ll quiz Interpol and the FBI about you too…
So, after all this is finished (hopefully with success), the UVIR officials will give your friend an invitation (after he stands in a long queue again). This invitation can only be sent to you by post, because consulates accept originals only. It can’t be faxed or e-mailed or telexed. So, all in all, it’ll take about 14 days for it to arrive by post (or 1 day if it’s sent by express post, but then it’ll cost $50 or so). Then you can take it along with other documents needed to the consulate, and apply for your private visa. It’ll cost you the same as the other ones, but will surely cause much suspicion from the consulate officials. Why would a Russian person invite a foreigner to his country? Only to sell his motherland’s secrets…
So, I think you understand, why most of the people prefer getting a tourist or a business visa instead…”
(från http://www.waytorussia.net/RussianVisa/Types.html)
Att förälska sig i Ryssland är inte att rekommenderas för den som vill gå den lätta vägen… Men när man väl gjort det finns det ingen återvändo. Och man utvecklar ju en hel del goda egenskaper: envishet, tålamod, flexibilitet och ännu lite mera envishet, tålamod och flexibilitet… Det måste vara det här som kallas hatkärlek. Eller rent vansinne.
